Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: A Maid's Bath Service
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***
My vision was hazy.
The steam-filled, opulent bathroom was a stark reminder of the treatment imperial family members received at the academy.
And above all else...
“Sir Han Cheon-seong. Is the water temperature to your liking?”
“...Yes. It’s fine.”
I felt a peculiar thrill responding to the calm woman's voice.
I was now experiencing 'that' thing you only read about in novels.
—A maid's bath service.
Having personally experienced something I'd always dismissed as fictional while reading novels, I felt as if I were floating.
Servants who catered to the nobility—butlers, handmaidens, or in other words, maids—actually existed. Of course, in a world where a strict class system was the norm, what I had dismissed as impossible was, in fact, an everyday reality.
And there was even a maid assigned specifically to attend to me.
The maid currently... gently scrubbing my back was one such person.
*Swish.*
The touch of her hand brushing against my back was sensual. It might have just been me, but honestly, how could it not be?
Who wouldn't be conscious of a woman around my age touching their body directly?
Of course, the maid helping me now wasn't the same one who had spoken with Dersen and Rachel. After their dedicated maid relayed the message, a different one had arrived to attend to my bath.
At first, I had tried to refuse, just like a protagonist in a novel.
But when Dersen looked at me as if I were being strange and told me to accept, I did so without another word.
The result was me, now, receiving bath service from a maid.
*Swish.*
*Swish...*
The maid's hand, continuously brushing against my back, the nape of my neck, and my waist, felt sensual.
‘...It’s not me who’s being weird.’
Right. Wouldn't it be stranger *not* to feel something sensual while being bathed by someone? In cruder terms, unless you were truly impotent, how could you not feel this way?
Of course, neither the maid nor I were completely naked.
Still, the atmosphere itself felt incredibly intimate.
The maid was covered in a light, silk-like garment, and I had a towel wrapped around my waist, so we were both covered where it counted. But that had its own kind of sensuality.
"..."
"..."
I could even clearly hear the sound of her soft, steady breathing.
I tried my best to think of other things, anything to distract myself, and endured.
*Swish...*
Then, as the maid's soft hand moved up to my shoulder, I flinched.
“Sir Han Cheon-seong, your muscles seem a bit tense.”
“...Is that so.”
“Yes. A result of your hard work, I imagine. And as I’ve said before, you don’t need to use honorifics with me. You can speak comfortably.”
She spoke so gently, in a way that put one at ease, but doing as she said wasn't easy.
How can one person treat another so casually, looking down on them?
For me, with my modern values, it was already a difficult task.
She may be a maid, but she was still a woman around my own age.
“...I’m more comfortable this way.”
“You are very kind, Sir Han Cheon-seong.”
Hearing her soft laughter in response, I felt my body heat up all over again.
‘Endure. I have to endure, somehow.’
This itself was a luxury, if I could call it that, but my heart kept fluttering.
I found myself hesitating, but for a moment, a wave of happiness filled my chest—the thought that this might actually be quite nice.
...And since I'd already accepted, shouldn't I just enjoy the moment?
‘Right, when will I ever get to experience something like this again?’
I was just being treated as a guest, so there was nothing strange about it.
I was just experiencing something nice.
*Swish...*
Then, as her hand caressed the side of my ear, I couldn't help but shudder.
“There...”
“Ah, many people tend to neglect their ears, so I was going to help you with them. Is it uncomfortable? If so...”
“No... it’s fine.”
As I quickly accepted the maid's offer, happiness swelled within me once more.
I didn't know how many luxuries one could enjoy in this world, but trying to avoid the maid's touch seemed ridiculous.
As I remained still, the maid began to slowly caress my earlobe, then my neck. Steam and warmth filled my vision.
The feeling of my body melting and relaxing in this daze was truly wonderful.
It felt like entrusting my body to a skilled masseuse.
...And receiving such treatment from a beautiful woman, at that, was pure bliss.
‘Enjoy it while I can.’
I wasn't foolish enough to turn down the happiness offered to me.
“Um, Sir Han Cheon-seong? Excuse me for a moment.”
“Yes.”
I replied lightly, not knowing what she meant.
"...!"
At the distinct softness of a woman's body pressing against my back, my entire body seemed to freeze.
Even if I tried to endure this...
The direct physical stimulation was too intense.
…
*Rustle, rustle.*
To the sound of fabric brushing against my skin, I was now even being dressed by the maid. The clothes were of a quality I'd rarely seen. The texture of what seemed to be the finest silk was unbelievably soft.
My student uniform had been sent to the mages stationed in the inner chambers for cleaning, but I didn't refuse the maid's suggestion that I change into something else for my return.
That's how much the maid's service had put me in a good mood.
*Pat.*
After a final, light pat to smooth out the clothes, the maid gave me a faint smile.
“Sir Han Cheon-seong. I will take my leave now. I hope you have a wonderful day.”
“...Yes. Thank you.”
The maid smiled faintly and softly at my words and slowly departed. My eyes instinctively followed her retreating figure.
*Gulp.*
...I think I had just realized one of the best things about this world.
‘Nobility.’
In Groa, one's status was certainly determined at birth, but that didn't mean one couldn't earn a title. There were cases of commoners graduating from the academy with high honors and being granted noble titles, and anyone who made a significant contribution to the empire or distinguished themselves on the battlefield had ample opportunity to earn one as well.
In other words, you could change your status through effort.
And now, I felt like I had just set a new goal for my life in this world.
“...I must become a noble.”
Experiencing everything from the bath service to being dressed by the maid today... if this wasn't heaven, then what was?
If I had never experienced it, I wouldn't have known. But the thought that nobles lived like this every day filled my heart with envy.
‘How happy would I be if every day were like this?’
It felt as if my eyes had been opened to a new world, and I steeled my resolve.
I now had a clear reason to strive even harder.
*Step.*
As I started walking, a part of my mind was still colored with tension.
Now, I would have to face them properly.
—Dersen and Rachel.
No matter what questions they asked, I couldn't afford to slip up.
***
*Click.*
As Han Cheon-seong cautiously entered the inner chamber, the gazes of Dersen and Rachel, who had been in the middle of a pleasant conversation, instantly turned to him.
And without exception, both of their eyes widened slightly.
“Well now... he’s even more handsome than I thought.”
Dersen spoke with a slight smile, and Rachel’s eyes momentarily sparkled as she looked at Cheon-seong.
“You’re quite a handsome man.”
Where moments ago he had been disheveled from training, the sight of Cheon-seong now, neatly dressed and looking like a completely different person, was enough to draw their admiration.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Right. Take a seat and make yourself comfortable. I’ve been itching to talk to you.”
At Dersen’s light nod, Cheon-seong slowly took a seat at one side of the round table.
As the three of them formed a peculiar triangle, facing one another, Rachel slowly glanced at the maid standing nearby.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
At that, their personal maid, who had been waiting, carefully began to set a teacup in front of Cheon-seong, who accepted it calmly.
“Thank you.”
“You are welcome.”
After replying in a calm yet polite manner, the maid once again stepped back to stand to the side. Only then did Rachel speak with a smile.
“To be honest, I imagine this situation is a bit pressuring for you. We stopped you so suddenly and requested this conversation. It occurred to me a bit late that I might have forced you into an uncomfortable position.”
As she spoke cautiously yet gently, Cheon-seong nodded his head as if to thank her for her consideration.
“The honor is all mine. Is it not a rare opportunity to meet two such distinguished individuals?”
“Thank you for saying so.”
As Rachel replied with a gentle smile, Cheon-seong quickly averted his gaze from her as if looking at her were taboo, turning instead to Dersen.
“I appreciate you saying that. And from the way you're responding, it seems we don't need to introduce ourselves. It looks like we all know who's who.”
“Yes. Introductions aren't necessary.”
As Cheon-seong calmly accepted Dersen’s words, Rachel’s eyes inadvertently shone.
‘What a curious man.’
Most people freeze up the moment they hear my brother speak. But this man, even considering the circumstances, remained composed.
As she gently lifted her teacup to her lips, her eyes once again took in his transformed appearance, courtesy of the maid's assistance.
With his black hair neatened and his face fully visible, he was quite handsome. But more than anything, the confidence in his eyes piqued her interest.
Anyone else would have considered our status and tried to curry favor, or groveled and spouted flattery.
‘He’s quite composed.’
He says only what needs to be said, with no unnecessary words.
She liked that about him more than anything else.
Glancing sideways, she saw that her brother didn't seem to have a bad impression of Han Cheon-seong either.
He had clearly approached Han Cheon-seong reluctantly at her behest, yet now he seemed even more curious than she was, which she found amusing.
“Han Cheon-seong.”
As she gently called his name,
“Yes, Lady Rachel.”
she met the eyes of the man who called her with an honorific.
In his black irises, which matched his hair, she could see a faint hint of red.
‘Just as I thought.’
This man showed no hesitation in meeting her gaze.
“Could you tell me in detail about your duel with Leonhardt? I’ve heard many things about you, but frankly, a lot of the rumors are hard to believe.”
“Same here. Can you tell us yourself? How you managed to fight Leonhardt to a draw.”
“...My story might be a bit long. Will that be alright?”
“Of course, it is.”
As her brother replied as if it were obvious, another laugh escaped her.
‘My brother really is interested in spearmanship.’
She had felt it when they sparred as children, but for some reason, her brother had a strange attachment to the spear.
Even though his own unique trait had nothing to do with spears.
“I’m fine with it, too. A longer conversation just means we have more time to enjoy ourselves, doesn’t it?”
“If you put it that way... then I will slowly recount the details of the duel.”
As she listened to his calm voice, a sudden curiosity sparked within her.
‘When will that calm voice of his finally break?’
His calm voice was soothing and pleasant to listen to.
But she also felt a strange curiosity about whether he could remain so composed when that voice of his faltered.